Absence of detectable human herpesvirus 8 in the semen of human immunodeficiency virus-infected men without Kaposi's sarcoma

J Infect Dis. 1997 Sep;176(3):775-7. doi: 10.1086/517299.

Abstract

The prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8)/Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus was investigated in the semen of 99 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men (median CD4 cell count, 357/mm3) by use of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay capable of detecting <10 copies of HHV-8 DNA. Of the subjects, 95 (96%) self-identified as men who have sex with men (MSM), and 3 had a history of clinical KS. Seminal cell specimens were negative for HHV-8 in 98 subjects. None of the 26 without KS (27.1% of 96 tested) who were seropositive for HHV-8 by IFA for latency-associated nuclear antigens had HHV-8 detected in their semen. The only subject with any evidence for seminal HHV-8 DNA was seropositive for HHV-8 and had active KS. HHV-8 was detected in 10 (10.4%) of 96 peripheral blood mononuclear cell specimens. The prevalence of HHV-8 DNA by PCR in semen of HIV-infected MSM without KS is low.

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / virology*
  • Animals
  • DNA, Viral / analysis
  • Drosophila melanogaster
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Prevalence
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / epidemiology
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / virology*
  • Semen / virology*

Substances

  • DNA, Viral